Hanging compartment hat-box.



' No. 633.864. Patented 'sept'. 2s, i899. k H. F. LINDSEY.

HANGING COHPARTHENT HAT BOX.

gAppliz'atiun mm Mar. 14, 1899.

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- H. F. LINDSEY.

HANGiNG COMPARTMENT HAT BOX.

iApplication filed Mar. 14, 1899.

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' UNIIE D STA TES' PATENT OFFICE.

HOLLAND F. LINDSEY, on TUPELO,MISSISSIPPI.

HANGING COM PARTMENT HAT Box.

srnonnca'rroiv forming part of Letters Batent No. 638,864, dated September 26, 1899. Application filed March 14. 1899. Serial 110.709 4123; (No man.)

' To a whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, HOLLAND F. 'LInnsEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tupelo, in the countyof 'Lee and State of Mississippi, have invented new and useful Improve Y ments in Hanging Compartment Hat-Boxes,-

of which the following is a specification.

This. invention relates to a hanging compartment hat-case; and it has for its object to provide a convehient andcompact case orcabinet for the use of retail .merchants'in'which hats of varying sizes may be stored and" displayed, said cabinet or case being made in separate com partments in which the hats are adapted to be placed and any one of which may be opened for, the removal of what ofa particular size or style without opening any of the other compartments, whereby time is saved in serving customers and liability of the hats becoming mixed is prevented.

Italso has for its object to provide such, a

hat-case with meansfor hanging the same from the ceiling or other overhead support,-

wherebyan economy in the space of the sales room is effected, and,.finally, it has for its object to improve and simplify and render more efiicient and convenient this class of devices generally.

To these ends thy-invention consists inthe features and in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,- forming a part of this specification.

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of myimprovedhat-case. I Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the compartments. .Fig. 4 is a partial detail View of one of the tags, and Fig. 5 is a view showing thehat-case suspended from a ceiling and opened at one of the compartments.

'Referring" to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the bottom compartment of my improved hat-case', 2 the 'topqoflhe case, and 3 the intermediate compartments; As shown, each of the intermediate compartments 3 comprises an approximately oval-shaped vertical rim 4, the rear' ends of which are separated and provided with flanges 5.

Between the flanges 5 of each rims is inserteda wooden shaped upright flange 13.

. block 6, to the endsof which the flanges 5 are secured by nails or similar suitable fastening devices. To the backs of each of the blocks 6 is attached a metallic strap or hinge-leaf 7,

' the straps or leaves of 7 each two adjacent blocks being pivotally connected by a pintle '9 in a well-known mannerto form hinge connections between the blocks of the several rimsor compartments. Each rim or compartment is open at both top and bottom, the top of -each rim beingcrimped or otherwise suitablyreduced, as indicated at 10, whereby the lower end of each compartment closes and fits over. the upper end of the adjacent compart ment beneath it. Fixed in eachcompartment is a horizontal centrally-apertured partition 11", in the aperture of which is fixed an oval- The partitions 11 and flanges 13 may be made of anysnitable material possessing the requisite strength and.lightness-such as pasteboard, for example-and the partitions may be fixed in place i by any suitable or preferred'means. The bottom compartment'l is. constructedsimilarly to the intermediate compartments 3, excepting that it is .made deeper than the latter and is provided with an imperforate bottom '14. The cover 2 of the case is also constructed in manner similarto'the intermediate compartments, excepting that it is preferablymade shallower and is provided with an imperforatc top 15. 1

The cover-and each of the in termediate compartment-s are provided on their front with a springcatch 16, which is adapted to spring into or engage a small slot or aperture 17, I formed in therim of the compartment next below, whereby when the compartments are closed they are held locked. but permitting. any one of the. compartments to be opened 'wit'hout necessitating opening any of the other compartments.

In practice the hats are arranged inverted, one in each compartment, the. crowns being inserted in the apertures 12 in the partition 11 and the brims resting on the upper edges of the flanges '13, the arrangement being such that the crown of each hat projects into or nests in the crown of the hat next below, thereby enabling a large number of hats to be stored in a relatively small case. The lowermost compartment 1 is made deeper than the intermediate compartments to accommodate the crown ,of the bottom hat. In practice it is preferable to arrange the hats in such manner that a smaller-sized hat will be placed above a larger size throughout the several compartments, whereby they will nest snugly together without liability of crushing or damaging one another.

Tags or labels may be affixed to the compartments in any suitable manner to indicate the sizes of the contained hats; but in order that different-sized hats'may be from time to time placed in the individual compartments I prefer to employ the following means: The numeral 18 indicates a flexible piece of material provided with a plurality of separated strips 19. On the end of each strip or tag 19 is marked the size of a hat, and in practice there will be formed a number of such tags or strips on each piece 18 equal to the number of different sizes of hats usually kept in stock. Astrip 18, provided with the marked tags 19, is attached to the inner side of each compartment, and when a hat is placed in any one of the compartments the tag 19, indicating the size corresponding to such hat, is allowed to hang down outside the compartment, where it may be plainly viewed. In order to remove a hat of any desired size from the case, the compartment containing such size can be instantly ascertained by referring to the tags, after which it is merely necessary to unfasten the spring-catch to such compartment, when all the compartments above the one to which access is desired may be raised up without unfastening or opening any of the other compartments and the hat removed from the case.

In order that the case may be suspended from the ceiling or other overhead support, where it will be out of the way, yet in convenient reach, I attach cords or wires 20 to the rim of the cover 2 and connect them by a bail 21, to which latter is connected one end of a cord 22, the other endthereof being passed over a pulley 23, fixed to the ceiling or support, and fastened in any suitable manner at its extremity. By raising and lowering the cord 22 the case can be instantly brought into convenient reach or hoisted out of the way.

Attached to the wooden blockat' the rear of the lowermost compartment is a cord 24, which passes up in rear of. all the compartments, and thence over the top or cover. The

upper portion of the cord is provided with a plurality of loops 25, any one of which may he slipped over a knob or projection 26 on the front of the cover, and thus hold the latter, together with such compartments as maybe fastened to it and each other by the springcatches, elevated. In other words, the cord is for the purpose of holding the case temporarily open at any desired compartment, and the extent or degree to which it will be held open will be dependent upon which one of the loops 25 is slipped over the knob 20.

If it is desired that the hats may be inspected without necessitating the compartments being opened, the rims 4: will be formed of transparent celluloid or other similar material, through which the hats may be viewed.

A mirror 27 may be arranged at any convenient point on the case, in which the purchaser may conveniently inspect the appearance of the hat on his head.

.Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A hat-case comprisinga plurality of compartments disposed one on top of another and permanently hinged together at the rear, and means common to all the compartments for holding said case open at any one of the compartments, substantially as described.

2. In a hat-case, the combination of a plurality of compartments disposed one on top of another, each of said compartmentscomprising an integral rigid rim having its ends bent into parallelism, a block fastened between said parallel ends, hinges connecting said blocks, a hat-holding device, and an imperforate top and bottom for respectively closing the upper and lower compartments, substantially as described.

3. A hat-case comprisinga plurality of com partments disposed one on top of another and hinged together at the rear, means for supporting the uppermost compartment from an overhead support, independent fastening devices for fastening each compartment to the adjacent compartments, a flexible connection attached at one end to the lowermost compartment and extended upward behind all the compartments, and means for ad justably attaching the other end of said connection to the uppermost compartment, substantially as described and for thepurpose specified.

4. Ahat-case comprisingapluralityofcompartments disposed one on top of another and hinged together at the rear, independent fastening devices for detachably fastening the compartments together, a cord attached to the rear of the lowermost compartment and extending along the rear of all the compartments and across the top of the uppermost compartment, and a knob or projection attached to the front of the top of the uppermost compartment substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

II. F. LINDSEY.

'lVitnesses WM. P. STRIBLING, J. M. LINDSEY.

IIO 

